DEA agents hired prostitute for Secret Service official

Jan. 10, 2013
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The Hotel Caribe in Cartagena, the capital of Colombia, where U.S. Secret Service agents stayed in April 2012 while hiring prostitutes ahead of a visit by President Obama. / Manuel Pedraza, AFP/Getty Images

by Michael Winter, USA TODAY

by Michael Winter, USA TODAY

Two U.S. drug agents hired a prostitute for a Secret Service supervisor before President Obama's April visit to Colombia, the Justice Department has determined.

A third Drug Enforcement Administration special agent who had dinner with the other agents earlier that evening in Cartegena, "played no role in facilitating" the "sexual encounter," according to a summary of the investigation by the Justice Department's inspector general.

The investigation found that all three DEA agents initially denied knowing about agency personnel procuring prostitutes for the Secret Service, and that all had deleted information from their government-issued BlackBerry phones. Two did so after learning about the probe.

Additionally, all three DEA agents, who had high-level security clearances, admitted they had hired prostitutes on other occasions.

But the IG said that the agents' actions did not warrant prosecution, and that the U.S. attorney's office had also declined to prosecute. Prostitution is legal in Colombia.

In a statement, the Drug Enforcement Administration said the matter "is currently under review by the Board of Professional Conduct" for possible disciplinary action.

The summary was contained in a Dec. 20 letter by Inspector General Michael Horowitz. It was sent to the chairman and ranking minority member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee. USA TODAY obtained both documents.

Citing State Department policies prohibiting employees from soliciting prostitutes, Horowitz said the Justice Department would evaluate security and training policies for overseas postings and make recommendations "as necessary."

Of the 12 Secret Service employees implicated in the scandal, nine resigned or retired. The other three were cleared of serious misconduct but could still face disciplinary actions.